I Look Around Me and I Want You To Be There
by ImAnUnderdog
Summary: Shiloh is practically parentless. She doesn't know her father and her mother is hardly ever around because of her musical career. When she sets out to find her father, she discovers things about herself as well as the people around her. POSSIBLE SMITCHIE!
1. It's Me Against The World

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.**

**_A/N The characters that you recognize - _I don't own.  
****_The characters that you DO NOT recognize - _I totally own.**

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_Chapter 1 : It's Me Against The World_

**-Shiloh's POV-**

Let's see..where to start? Well, I'm 17, almost 18, years old. I will officially be 18 in three weeks. I have dark brown, almost black, hair. I live with my Mom. My mom says I have my dad's eyes, but I couldn't tell you for sure. See, I can't tell you because I've never seen my dad. I would have known if I had because Mom says I look almost exactly like him.

Mom said he left when I was just a baby, claiming that he didn't want to be tied down just yet. So, I guess he just up and left. Left Mom to take care of me by herself. Now that I think about that's kind of a lie. Steven has practically been raising me by himself since Mom's hardly ever home. I'll go into more detail about who Steven is later.

I think I remember my dad's name. I think it was..Shane? I know his last name was Gray because that's my last name. I wanted to change my last name to my mom's, Torres. But, she said no because my last name is the only connection I have to my dad.

I try to do things a normal 17-year old would do, but it's hard when your mom is one of most famous singers in the world.

Yes, it's weird having cameras follow you everywhere you go, having the entire world know what you're doing that given moment, but as the years went by, I kind of got used to it.

I don't have any brothers or sisters. I don't even have any cousins. Both of my parents were only children.

But, anyway..enough about me for now. On with the story.

---------------------------

I parked my car in our circle driveway, walked up to our huge house, which most people would call close to a "mansion". The house contains at least 15 rooms, which was kind of ridiculous since there's only me, Mom, our butler, Steven, and whatever nanny my mom decided to hire that week living there. I had a talk with my best friend, Cheyenne, about the nanny thing the other day, actually- when I was staying the night at her house.

_"Thanks for the hot chocolate, Mrs. Andrews!" _

_"You're welcome, sweetheart." She replied as she left the room._

_"I like them." I told Cheyenne, with a nod toward the door._

_"They can be kind of embarrassing sometimes." _

_"I mean, I had no idea that familes actually sit down and eat dinner together every night. And you actually talk to each other." _

_"What does your family do for dinner?"_

_"Oh, Mom went out. I usually have dinner with whatever nanny she decided to hire that week. Since they usually didn't speak English, things were pretty quiet."_

_"Wow. That's kind of sad, Shiloh."_

The 15 rooms included the main entry into the house and contains the grand staircase to upstairs. The other rooms of downstairs included the kitchen, dining room, family room, game room, my reading room, dance room, and next to that was a party room, and two guest bathrooms. Upstairs we have another half bathroom, five bedrooms (one was mine which was connected to a bathroom and another was Mom's, which was the master bedroom which included of course the master bathroom). Then along with two of the other five bedrooms included bathrooms. We have a seperate building outback, too. It's a recording studio. Outside in the back we also had a gigantic backyard with a gigantic pool and a hot tub.

It sounds great, doesn't it? It's really not. It gets really lonely in this huge house. But as Mom would say, _"The bigger, the better."_

I walked into the front door. Our butler, Steven, greeted me. He was about 55, kind of a skinny, and he was a man of few words. He didn't say much unless I asked him something.

"Steven, is my mom home?" I asked, knowing that the answer was probably no.

"No. I'm sorry, Miss Shiloh, but she left you something on your bed." He replied.

I walked up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. My room is a decent size as you walk in you see my balcony doors. Then you turn to your right and there are my closet doors that are full-length mirrors. To the left are my bed and nightstands. The wall by my bed contains my computer desk and dresser that contains a mirror. The color of the walls were kind of splatter-painted with a lot of bright colors. I had a queen-size bed with a polka-dot bedspread.

Back to the story, I looked over to my bed and on it, there was a basket full of presents with a letter attached. I went over to my bed and took the letter off the basket and read:

**Sorry to inform you in a letter, Shiloh, but my manager surprised me with a little tour in Japan, and I couldn't say no. Steven and Isabel will look after you. I will be home in a few months and I will call you every night to see how you are doing. Again, I am sorry, so here is a little gift.**

**- Mom**

If you were wondering, Isabel is the cook and housemaid for this week.

Okay, normally someone would be happy to get a gift but she did this everytime and I don't want anymore gifts. I just wanted my mother to be around for more than a few days at a shot. I took the stuffed dolphin (my favorite animal) from the basket and threw it at the closet door mirrors.

I went over to pick it up after feeling bad for throwing it and took a good look at myself in the mirror. Who was I? As I looked at myself, I started to cry. Why was my world so complicated? I went back over to my bed with the stuffed dolphin, set the basket on the floor, sat Indian style on the bed, and dialed my boyfriend's number on my cell phone. It rang a few times before he picked up.

_"Hey, baby! What's up?"_ Dusty answered enthusiastically.

"My mom did it yet again. She left for a few months and left me a present because she felt bad, yet again." I said sniffling. "Can I come over?"

Dusty started stumbling over his words, and eventually said, _" I think it would be better if I just came over there. I'll see you soon."_ He said before hanging up.

As I waited for him to arrive, I started thinking. _I've never met his family. I have no idea what they're like. He rarely talks about them. Is there something Dusty's keeping from me?_

A half-hour later, I was laying on my bed on my stomach with my head in the pillow. There was a knock at my bedroom door. "Come in." I said looking up at the door.

Dusty came in. He has medium-length brown hair and dark blue-gray eyes. He dressed in his favorite outifit, his black jeans and white button-down shirt with the sleeves folded a little bit at his elbows.

"Hi, baby." He said coming in and sitting on the bed next to me.

I sat up. "Why does she always think that she can buy me things to make everything better?" I asked while wiping the tears off my cheeks.

"She probably thinks it's better for you to have something since she can't be here with you..." Dusty suggested while rubbing my back.

"I was so excited to tell her I got the solo in choir for the concert, but she wasn't here for me to tell." I said crying.

"I know how important getting the role was for you. I'm sorry that you can't share it with your mom." He said grabbing me and holding me close to him. I just cried into his chest.

"Hey, want to go sit outside and eat ice cream and then maybe go swimming?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned for me.

I smiled. "Sure. That sounds fun." I said.

I wiped my eyes, and we got up. We went downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed some ice cream bars on the way outside. We went out to the back porch, sat down in chairs, and opened our ice cream bars. I took a bite and so did he.

"Have you told your mom that we're together yet?" Dusty asked.

"No. I will her tell. With my mother, it's complicated. I will tell her, I just.."

"How was your day?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Well a guy at school asked me out on a date for Friday." I said.

"What did you say and who was it?" He asked cautiously.

"It was Wesley Monroe and I said no." I said.

"Why did you say no?"

"Because, for one, you're my boyfriend. And I get asked out everyday by a different guy because of my mom being famous and all. I don't want to date someone because they want to meet my mom and be in the spot light. That's why I went out with you. You had no interest in the spotlight, and I loved that about you." I said.

"How do you know that's why he was asking you out?" Dusty asked.

"Why would anyone want to date me? My life is a mess." I asked.

"Why _wouldn't _someone want to date you? Shi, you are beautiful and you have an amazing personality." He said hugging me.

We had both finished our ice cream by now. We stood up and started to walk by the pool.

We sat down at the poolside, and out of nowhere, I announced my plan. "I'm going to find my dad."

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_**What do you think? Was it any good? Should I continue it? **_

_**- ImAnUnderdog**_


	2. I Wonder What It's Like To Have It All

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LITTLE SCENES FROM "TWILIGHT". I LOVE THOSE SCENES, BUT I DO NOT OWN THEM.**

_**A/N All I ask is that if you read a chapter, then you review on it. Thank you to the one person (for some reason, it's not letting me put your name up)**__** for**__** reviewing on the last chapter. **_

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_Chapter 2 : I Wonder What It's Like To Have It All_

"Come with me." I locked eyes with Dusty, and he turned his head.

By now, we had gone back inside, back up to my room. We were both sitting on my bed talking about my plan.

"Shi, I can't." He answered while he was absent-mindedly playing with my hair.

"Why?"

"I still have school. So do you. It's our senior year. Do you really want to just mess it all up now?" He stood up and walked near my large mirror.

"I'm home-schooled, remember? I can afford to miss a couple days."

He sighed and walked out on my balcony. "Do you always do this?" Dusty asked me, out of nowhere.

"Do what?" I asked, following him.

"This." He said, as if that was going to tell me what he was talking about. "Do you always just plot to up and leave everything to go find a man who abandoned you?"

"I don't have a lot of options, Dusty." I said. "I want to know my dad, and I know the only way that's gonna happen is if _I_ go find him. It's pretty obvious to me that he's not searching for me."

"So you like thinking about all this?" Dusty still looked like he was still in disbelief of what he was hearing.

"I don't not like it." I said, standing beside him. "I don't really find it exciting, but what else have I got? This is just, you know, my life."

"Isn't it weird though?"

"What?"

"Having people like them for parents?" He said, at a loss for better words.

I looked at him for a moment. "I have nothing else to compare it too." I stated clearly. "It's all I've ever known."

"Well, I grew up in an extremely weird family, so... " He trailed off. I laughed.

"Speaking of your family.." As soon as I said that, Dusty's grin was gone. _He's definitely not telling me something, alright._

"What about them?"

"Why don't you ever talk about them? I've never met them and I want to know about them."

"No, you don't. Trust me."

"Yes, I do."

"Fine. You want to know about my family?" _Isn't that what I just said?_

"YES."

"Alright. The first thing you should know, Dr. and Mrs. Thompson aren't my real parents. They're just the closest thing I've ever had. I'm a foster child and I live there with four other kids!" "I met the man that I call dad when I was only five days old. I don't remember meeting him for the first time, but he remembers meeting me. If you ask him, he'll tell you that I gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen. See..my mom, my real mom, she couldn't care for me by herself. My real dad didn't want me, so the only option my mom had was adoption. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be telling you all this."

"No, it's fine. I want to know. Keep going."

"Okay. Well, my real mom was already friends with Dr. Thompson and knew that his wife couldn't have children, so she took me to him at the hospital. That's when I met him. Dr. Thompson told her that he would talk to his wife when he went on break, and when he came back from break, his wife was with him. Apparently, I took to liking her almost immediately. Dr. Thompson told my mom that they would take me, and after that..I was a Thompson."

We didn't talk for a couple of minutes, and before I knew it, we were walking down the street toward Dusty's house. Dusty happened to meet up with one of his friends named Erika, who was walking to her boyfriend's house, and she walked with us.

"What are your siblings like, Dusty?"

"They kinda keep to themselves."  
_  
_"Yeah 'cause they're all together, like TOGETHER together. Uh, the blond girl, Nadia, and the big dark-haired guy, Mickey, they're like..a thing. I'm not even sure it's legal." Erika cut into the conversation, and Dusty looked a little embarrassed.  
_  
_"Erika, they're not actually related." He muttered at the ground as he kicked a rock out of his way.  
_  
_"Yeah, but they live together. It's weird. Okay, the little dark-haired girl is Dominique, she's REALLY weird, and, um, she's with Sean, the baseball star. Dr. Thompson's like this foster dad and match maker, all in one." "Oh, just so you know, Nadia told me that Dusty called his mom and they know you're coming now. So, they're making this really big dinner."

"Great. Thanks, Erika."

Erika turned down another street and Dusty looked even more embarrassed now that I knew they were making me dinner.

When we stepped in his house, I was in awe. It was so light and open. As we got closer to the kitchen I heard people talking.

"Is she even Hispanic?" _Technically? Sort of. My grandma is half, so my mom is a fourth, so I'm like..an eighth Hispanic, I guess. _

"I don't know but either way, be nice. Both of you."

"Get a whiff of that. Here she comes." _'Get a whiff of that.' I didn't think my body spray was that strong. _

As me and Dusty walked around the corner, four faces met mine.

Some lady, presumably Mrs. Thompson, ran up to me. "Shiloh! We're making Mexicana for you."

"Okay." I shied back a little bit, until I felt Dusty's body behind me.  
_  
_"Shiloh, this is Jade, my mother for all intents and purposes."

_Well..I suppose I can try an make a little conversation. Maybe I'll even put the girl's question to rest. _"Cómo estás?"  
_  
_"Muy buen!" It seemed to me like Mrs. Thompson had been practicing saying that little phrase, just by the off chance I might have asked her that.  
_  
_"It gives us an excuse to use the kitchen." Dr. Thompson gave me a warm and welcoming smile which I gladly returned.

"I hope you're hungry."  
_  
_"Yeah, absolutely."

"She already ate." Dusty whispered to his parents, and as soon as he whispered that, the girl, who had been eyeing me the whole time I had been here, broke the bowl she was holding.

"Perfect!"

I wasn't sure what I should do then, so I glanced up at Dusty.

"Just ignore Nadia. I do." He let out his signature smirk once again, and it made me smile.  
_  
_"Yeah, let's just keep pretending like this isn't dangerous for all of us."  
_  
_"How is this dangerous?" Dusty asked to no one in particular.

"It's not." Dr. Thompson directed towards Nadia.

"Yeah, well the problem is, you two have gone public now, so..." I think that was the first time his brother has talked since me and Dusty stepped into the kitchen.

"Mickey!"

"Hi, Shiloh!" Some girl came in with a guy, and I assumed she was Dominique, since I thought she was kind of weird and Erika said she was weird. She walked up to me and gave me a hug. "Ooh, Dusty wasn't lying. You do smell good."

"Um, thanks."

"Dominique, what are you- ?" I could tell that Dusty was as confused as I was.

Dominique stuck her hand up to silence Dusty. "It's okay. Shiloh and I are going to be great friends." She gave me a smile which I awkwardly returned.

The guy she came in with was just staring at me, like Dusty had when he first me. Dr. Thompson must have noticed that we were just kind of looking at each other, because he explained.

"Sorry, Sean's our newest foster child. It's still a little difficult for him to completely trust us."

"Why?" I whispered up to Dusty.

"Abusive family before they adopted him." He whispered back.

"Pleasure to meet you." He still seemed a little uneasy, so Dominique started comforting him.

"It's okay, Sean. You can trust her."_  
_  
"Alright. Well, I'm going to take Shiloh on a tour of the rest of the house." Dusty interrupted them, and looked down at me and smiled. He knew that I was feeling uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll see you soon." Dominique flashed another smile at me, and I smiled back as me and Dusty turned to continue on with the tour. "Okay."

As we walked away, I could here them talking again.

"I think that went well." I could almost see Dr. Thompson smiling as he said that. If I had turned back around, I bet I would have seen a smile.

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_**What do you think? Please, Please, Please REVIEW!!! I allow anonymous reviews too!!**_

**_- ImAnUnderdog_**


	3. Get Ready, Get Set, Please Don't Go

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - Thank you to All-American Dork06 ___****for**_** reviewing on the last chapter. **_

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_Chapter 3 : Get Ready, Get Set, Please Don't Go_

By the time night came, I was almost set. My bags were packed, but my car wasn't packed with my bags yet. Dusty said he would stay the night with me, though, since I wouldn't get to see him for a while.

As I stood on my balcony again, I looked up at the night sky. As I stared at the stars, I got into one of my moods. It's one where I feel good, yet tragic. It's hard to explain, but it's a completely indescribable level of sadness, and yet I'm happy, because I can feel something.

I came back in my room, and Dusty was already passed out on my double futon. I chuckled to myself and got in my bed.

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I woke up the next morning at about 7:00 am, about the time I was planning on leaving. _So much for that time plan._

As me and Dusty were saying goodbye at my car, he gave me a tight hug and whispered in my hair, "You know, there are things in life that we do best to leave alone."

"Dusty, not again."

"Can't you just stay here, Shi, and forget about this?" I could see, by the look on Dusty's face, that he just didn't want me to be disappointed or hurt if my dad isn't what I've been expecting.

"No. I have to do this."

"Shiloh, this is pointless." _Just because you don't want to remember your parents, doesn't mean you can keep me from wanting to know the one parent that I've never known._

"No, it isn't." "Didn't you say that you wanted what's best for me?" When he didn't answer me, I broke away from his hug. "Didn't you?"

"Yes, Shiloh."

"Then...I don't know why this is so hard for you. This is what's best for me."

"Shi, just be patient."

"I've been patient, Dusty. But, not anymore. Now, I'm going to go find my dad. Are you coming with me or not?"

He sighed and looked me straight in the eyes. "No."

With a heave, he threw my last suitcase of clothes into the back of my red BMW M3 convertible, my sweet 16 present from Mom to make up for her not being there. I had three suitcases of clothes and two gym bags for personal belongings. Hey, I don't know how long it'll take to find Dad. It's better to be overpacked and have more than I need and than not have enough.

Dusty said from the looks of it, it looked like I was moving. I wasn't moving my life. I was starting a new one; one that involved a father.

"I have a life here." He continued, pain beginning to stain his voice. "I have my friends. I have my job. I had you. It was all here."

_Had? As far I know, we haven't broken up._

A shudder wrenched its way down my back, and I gave a small sob. Dusty was making it so damn difficult to leave.

"There's nothing else for me out there, like you. My future is here."

"Don't say that." I whispered, kissing the protests from his lips.

"Are you sure your mom won't get mad for you leaving like this?" _Of course she would be mad._ But not just about me leaving. I was with a wonderful guy who she's only heard speak to her on the phone, only to tell her that he was my boyfriend. And that was only last night.

"Don't worry about it." I embraced him in a hug the best that I could. "It's not like they can go after you for it. If anything comes up, I'll deal with it."

He reached down and pushed a piece of my hair out of my face where it had been sticking. He played with it a little before whispering again to me. "You look beautiful today. Not like I would know what you usually look like at this hour but...you do."

"Thank you." I breathed.

I couldn't help but notice that Dusty sounded somewhat sad when he talked, like he was trying not to cry.

I wanted to just stay quiet and freeze the moment - to just stay here in his arms.

This was too wonderful. I couldn't have felt more happy and more miserable at the same time. I loved too much and was selfish. I wanted him to go with me but he said he needed to stay here. His life, his family, his world, is all here. Part of me wanted to stay back with him but I knew I couldn't. I had to find my father.

I forced back tears. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't make him feel bad for _my_ leaving. No. I would be strong and put the spoiled brat in me to rest.

He said nothing and I looked up into his eyes. The light sunlight seemed to bounce off and within them.

My heart would betray my judgment. I didn't care. I wanted to be with him. I pulled away just before he had a chance to kiss me. It's not like I didn't want him to, but it would be too much then to bear. I merely took his hand and strolled along the walk hastily wiping a stray tear from my eye.

"It's strange... whatever I might want to say now, everything I want to say, it would just make us both feel bad." I said softly.

"Maybe I should just leave." He replied. "Maybe..."

I let my eyes drift to the broken shards of bottles on the asphalt. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

"No, you won't. You're just going to go back to your life and everything and forget about me."

He looked at me, almost pained. "You know that's not true."

"I know. Maybe, just thinking that makes me feel better.."

"I hate seeing you unhappy." He caressed my cheek and another stray tear fell from my eyes. "Don't cry."

"I love you." I hugged him tightly then.

He whispered in my ear. "I love you too. I really don't want to leave you right now."

"I know."

"But...go. You need to." He nodded and I saw a tear in his own eyes. I reached up and brushed it away. "Be careful out there."

I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to be let go. If I had the power, I would have frozen myself with him in a happier time. But I couldn't. Neither of us could.

We only had the chance to kiss one last time and I drove off.

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_**What do you think? Thanks for reading!**_

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	4. There Is Something I Can't Tell Them

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - Thank you to All-American Dork06 (again) and Shona (it's still not letting me put your penname..sorry!) ___****for**_** reviewing on the last chapter. **_

**_I apologize for the lack of updating. My computer's been acting really retarded lately. _**

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_Chapter 4 : There Is Something I Can't Tell Them_

This is frigging ridiculous. I've been to about twenty Connect 3 concerts so far, and at every one of them, I couldn't get backstage. There was something about 'needing a backstage pass'. If they only knew the truth..then I could back no problem.

It's been almost a month since I up and left. I haven't talked to Dusty once since I left. He's probably freaking out right now, wondering where I am, how I'm doing, who I'm with..

He might kill me if he finds out that somebody gave my phone number to my ex-boyfriend, Levi, and he's been texting me almost nonstop. I mean, when we broke up, we told each other we would stay friends but we kind of lost touch for a while. But..it's all good now.

Right now though, it's the same thing as it has been for the last twenty nights. Another Connect 3 concert. Maybe this time I can get backstage.

--------------------

YES! Somehow, I'm not quite sure how, but I GOT BACKSTAGE! Actually..I do know how I did it. There was a group of girls that were going back, and I said I was with them. The security guard seemed to buy it. The girls didn't seem to care either way.

I walked back, and saw two people packing bags. I could tell right away that neither of them were Dad.

I guess they heard me walking because the curly-haired one's head popped up. "Hi. Can I help you?" _Yes. Can you tell me where Shane Gray is and why he left me and my mother? _

Of course, I couldn't tell them that because they would more than likely just look at me like I was crazy.

I hesitated for a couple of seconds, and then the other one looked up. "Hi. I'm Jason." He stuck his hand out for me to shake, and I took it.

I still didn't get to say anything because, apparently, I had gotten there before the group of girls had. I opened my mouth to speak, but a shriek cut me off.

"OH MY GOSH! THERE THEY ARE!" I ducked out of the way, so I wouldn't get caught in the middle of the mob, and Nate must have noticed because he nodded at a seat behind me. I shook my head 'no', and he smiled while signing his autograph.

I waited until the mob of over-excited fans got all their pictures and autographs that they wanted. Once they finally left, Jason and Nate looked a little...what's the right word? Relieved.

"Wow. Are people always like that?" _Oh, come on, Shiloh. What kind of question is that? Of course they're always like that. You know that._

"Yeah. So, what's your name?"

"Where are my manners? I'm Shiloh." I shook each of their hands, and Jason looked like he was studying my face.

"You seem familiar." _Great.. They probably think I'm some freaky fan that's stalking them. _"A good familiar." He added when he noticed my panicked look.

"Yeah.. definitely familiar." _If you guys only knew._

"What's wrong?" Nate looked genuinely concerned, something I hadn't seen since I left.

"Nothing. It's complicated."

They seemed to drop it there, and I was so glad they did.

"You know, you're not like those other girls. Why aren't you mobbing us and ripping our clothes for a souvenir?"

"Did you want me to?" I raised an eyebrow, and Jason laughed.

"That's okay. You don't have to."

"To be honest, I was actually looking for Shane."

"Oh.." Jason's face fell and the instant guilt set in.

"Don't get me wrong, it was great meeting you two. You guys are awesome."

"Likewise."

"So.." Nate started.

_Wow. This is awkward now._

"Yeah. So..why were you looking for Shane?"

"Like I said earlier, it's complicated."

"I'm sure I can keep up." Jason flashed me another smile and sat down on the couch. He pointed to the chair again, and this time I sat down.

"If you've heard of my mother, then you can find the story anywhere. It seems to be really popular for some reason. You can even google it. I know, I've done it."

I smirked as I said the last part, and they both smiled.

"Well, who's your mother?" Now even Nate looked like he was absorbed in our conversation.

"You guys promise not to flip, unlike every other guy I know?" I muttered the last part, but Nate chuckled.

"I promise." The both replied.

"Mitchie Torres."

They both stared at me, mouths agape, with wide eyes.

"Did you just say Mitchie Torres?" Nate repeated slowly.

I nodded my head, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

They quickly shook their heads, and they seemed to be having a hard time speaking again.

"Would you excuse us for just a second?"

"Uh, sure." I replied, and they stepped out in the hallway, but didn't shut the door behind them. I could hear everything they were saying, whether they wanted me to or not.

**-Nate's POV-**

As I stepped out in the hallway with Jason, I was so confused. Mitchie Torres is that girl's mother, but she looks almost identical to Shane, just in girl form. It couldn't be Shane's little girl.. he told me that she died when she was just a baby.

_Unless..he lied to me. No..Shane wouldn't lie to me. Would he?_

Jason must have noticed it all too, because he had a questioning look on his face. "I don't get it. Something's not adding up. Mitchie's her mother, I get that. While I see a little bit of Mitchie's personality in her, I see a lot of Shane in her looks. How? Shane doesn't have any kids. Except for late daughter."

"Unless..that IS his daughter, Jason. Think about it. The girl is almost identical to Shane, she's Shane's ex-fiancee's daughter, and her name is Shiloh, just like his 'late' daughter's. I think this girl might just be his Shiloh. And..dear God, Jason. She even has Shane's smirk!"

"But he said his Shiloh died when she was just a baby."

"Maybe he lied to us?"

"But, why would he lie about that?"

"I don't know. Maybe to protect his rep or something."

I heard something move and looked back toward the door to see the girl standing there.

"I've got to get going. It was nice meeting you two."

"Wait! Are you-"

She walked away, and didn't turn back.

"Shane's daughter?" I muttered at the ground.

_I might never know._

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_**What do you think? Thanks for reading!**_

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	5. Everything Is Different Now

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - Thank you to All-American Dork06 and Shona (it's still not letting me put your penname..sorry!) ___****for**_** reviewing on the last chapter. **_

**_

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_**

_Chapter 5 : __Everything Is Different Now_

It's been almost two weeks since I met Nate and Jason. I couldn't get the look on their faces when I told them Mitchie was my mom out of my head and it's driving me insane. I mean, really..why would they care who my mom is?

This guy that looked strangely familiar was waving over in my direction. Of course, there were about 4 other girls around the area where I was. He could have been waving to any one of us.

I headed toward the exit, which unfortunately for me, happened to be closer to where the guy was at.

As I was walking, the guy just looked at me, like he was trying to figure me out or something.

"Shiloh? Is your name Shiloh?" I heard my name, and after looking around for a couple seconds, I figured out that the guy said it.

"Yeah.."

"Can I talk to you? Can you come here, please?"

"Why?"

"So we can speak." I walked over to him. I couldn't just be rude and walk away from him. "I saw you at the show."

"Yeah, it was awesome." _This guy just wants to talk about the show. I hate to be mean to him but I've really got to going. _I didn't have a ticket to see the show, but I watched from lobby window. _Wait a second. How could he have seen me? _

"You know, your resemblance is striking." _Huh?_

"Who's?"

"Yours and your father's. You have your dad's eyes, his hair." I nodded, still not being able to understand how he knew about me. All I could do was give him a blank look, since I still had no clue who he was.

"You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

"No."

"I'm Nate Carter." _Yeah..that doesn't do me any good. I'm horrible with names._

"Okay.."

"From Connect 3?" _That's it! That's why you look familiar! _"Haven't I met you before?" _Okay, great. So you remember me too. That's a start._

"Yeah. I got to go backstage at one of your concerts two weeks ago."

"I thought you looked familiar."

"But..I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." _Smooth, Shiloh. You sound like a five-year old instead an 18-year old._

"I'm not a stranger anymore."

"Please, just state your business."

"Business?"

"What do you want?" _Great..I probably just came off as rude, but he's really testing my patience right now._

"I wanted to finally, actually, meet you. You know, Shane's never actually stopped talking about you. He told me that you died. Wow..all these years have come and gone.."

_Dad told people that I **died**?_

"Huh? Like, what does he wonder about?"

"He just wonders what you might be like now, what you might look like, what you might act like..what Mitchie's doing now." He practically whispered the last part.

"He wonders about my mom?"

He nodded his head, just enough so that his curls lightly bounced.

"Can you take me to see him?"

"Hmm..it'd be a pretty big risk, but okay."

"It's a risk? Really?" I wondered as we walked.

"Not really. I'm just not supposed to bring random people back."

We went to this room way in the back, and Shane and Jason were packing their bags, presumably getting ready to go to the next state for the next show. Nate knocked on the door and Shane looked up and his eyes locked on my face.

His mouth was slightly open as he studied my face, trying to figure out who I am.

"Hi, Shane."

Okay..yes. Even though he is my father, I just can't bring myself to call him 'dad' yet. I mean, I hardly know anything about the man, I can't call him 'Dad' just yet.

"How did you get back here?" _Wow. Strange way to say 'hello', if you ask me._

"Nate brought me."

Some really big guy came up and wrapped his hand around my arm, probably to get me away from Shane and Jason, thinking I was just another crazy fan.

"It's okay, Tyler. She's with me." Nate showed up again, practically out of nowhere. Tyler released my arm but kept me under his surveillance.

"Nate, she can't be back here." Shane cast a sidelong glance at me.

"Why not? Give me one good reason."

"She just can't."

"Shane, let her stay. You'll thank me later. Trust me."

"Excuse me, guys?" I interrupted their bickering, and they all looked at me. "Can I talk to Shane? Alone?"

"Anything you need to say to him you can say in front of us." Jason crossed his arms, and waited for me to talk.

"Alright. Fine."

I didn't even get to start talking because Shane started talking. "So, what did you want? An autograph, a picture? What?"

I glanced over at Jason while Shane was talking, and he kept glancing at me then glancing at Shane, like he was comparing our features. Nate leaned over and whispered something to him, and Jason's eyes went wide. He stared at me for a minute, like he was remembering meeting me two weeks ago.

When he broke away from my face, he gave the back of Shane's head a hard glare like he was shocked that he didn't remember me. Maybe, like Nate, Dad told him that I died. I don't know, but either way, Jason didn't look happy with Shane.

"Hey!" I was broke out of my little trance when Shane snapped his fingers in front in my face.

"What?"

"I said, what did you come back here for? Did you just want a picture or autograph or souvenir or something?"

"I don't want anything like that."

"Then, what did you want?" I could see by the look on his face that I was frustrating him. I could tell that he just wanted me to leave.

"I just wanted to meet my father." My head dropped a little bit, like it always does when I'm a little embarrassed.

"Well..I don't know why you're here, then. You're not going to have any luck." He started to turn around to start packing again, but Jason put his hand on his shoulder, making him turn back around.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Shane."

"Well, why would she? You guys don't have kids. I don't have any kids." Jason and Nate raised their eyebrows a little bit, like they were expecting Shane to look straight ahead at me. _Please.. As if **I** was a dead giveaway. Oh..right._

"Well, except for.." His voice dropped off and I knew then that he remembered me, but he still didn't know that I was his Shiloh. He started studying my face a little bit closer. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's almost like you were... No. Forget it, it's impossible."

"Almost if I were who, Shane?"

"Nobody. Forget I even mentioned it."

"Almost if I were a grown up version of...Shiloh?"

"You know about my daughter?" He narrowed his eyes at me, like he expecting me to tell how I knew.

"I...am your daughter." His eyes widened, and Nate smiled.

"Oh..wow. Uh.."

"I even have a copy of my birth certificate with me if you don't believe me." I pulled it out of the little bag I kept with me, and Shane just stared at it.

"Shiloh Hunter Gray, born at Anaheim Memorial Medical Center. 6lb 4oz. That's my signature at the bottom. You are my Shiloh." "But..how? The doctors didn't think you'd live past nine months old."

"I proved them wrong. Mom said that I've always been a fighter, like you."

"Mom..as in..Mitchie?"

"That would be correct. I'm sorry to just show up like this, but I've never seen you and I've dreamt of meeting you my whole life. I just hope that one day you could love me as much I already love you."

I turned around to start walking away, since I had nothing else to say, when Shane grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face him again.

"You traveled this far to find me, and you're just going to leave?" Shane still seemed a little dazed from the sudden news.

"I just wanted to finally meet you. Are you mad?"

"Of course not. It's just... I can't believe it's you. The last time I saw you, you had diaper rash. Now, look at you..."

Then he did something that none of us expected him to. He grabbed me in a hug, and the really strange thing, for me, was that I hugged him back. "Shiloh, I've loved you your whole life."

I couldn't help it. I started crying as he held me in the embrace. "I've never been so happy in my entire life."

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_**Thanks for reading!**_

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	6. You're The World To Me

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - Thank you to All-American Dork06 _****for reviewing on the last chapter. **

* * *

_Chapter 6 : You're The World To Me_

Dad tightened the hug, like he was afraid to let me go.

"I seriously can't believe it's you." He whispered into my hair. Tears started flooding my eyes again.

"And I can't believe it's really you."

I hadn't even noticed that Nate and Jason left until I saw them coming back in the room with all of my suitcases. I don't even know how they knew which car was mine.

Granted, my car was probably the only one left in the parking lot, but still...

They set the suitcases and gym bags down with a "thud", causing Dad to slightly jump. "You're, uh.. welcome to stay with us on the tour bus, Shi. If you want, I mean. You don't have to if you don't want to."

I had to crack a little smile. He's already trying so hard, and it's sort of funny to me.

"Thanks. That'd be..great. But what about my car?"

"We can have somebody from the crew drive it to the next state." Nate piped up.

"But, for now.. are there any other surprises?" Dad looked down at me, and I laughed. I shook my head, and looked up at Dad with tears in my eyes, for what seemed like the millionth time since I met him only a few minutes earlier.

"What is it, Shi?" Dad asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just... I've missed you so much."

He hugged me even tighter, if that was possible. "I know. It seems like it's been forever."

"You have no idea."

A few hours after that, we were on the tour bus. As soon as I walked on, I started looking around, partly because of my curiosity, but mostly in amazement. This thing was huge. It made my room seem kind of small.

"I'll just put these by your bunk." Dad lifted one of the suitcases, and put it near the bottom right bunk, under the bunk that I'm assuming was his. He started to pick another one up, but I took it from him.

"I can get them."

While I was putting my suitcases and gym bags away, Dad had disappeared into the bathroom.

The one thing I figured out that I love about him so far? He doesn't hover. Not that Mom ever hovered..or had really been around for longer than a couple of months a time.

A couple of seconds after I put the last gymbag away, Dad re-appeared.

"I cleared some shelves in the bathroom."

As soon as he said that, it hit me. This is so NOT a dream anymore.

"Oh, right. One bathroom."

After all of my stuff had been put away, I walked into the front where the other three were.

"Hey, Shi. Get everything put up alright?" Jason looked up from his guitar.

"Yeah. I'm totally settled."

I sat on one of the seats next to Dad. They were practicing for their next concert, so I turned on my iPod.

Don't get me wrong, I like hearing them practice. But..I've heard the same songs SO many times in the last two months, they all sound sort of alike to me.

My favorite song came on, and I guess I started singing to it because when I looked up, they had stopped practicing and were staring at me.

"What? Was it too loud?" I asked as I turned the iPod off and took my earbuds out.

"No. It was really good. Shiloh, have you ever had a record deal?" Nate stared at me in amazement.

I shook my head, and they stared at me in confusion. "Why not? If you wanted to, you could totally land one, no problem."

"I don't want to be a singer.." Nate and Jason just looked at me and then each other in confusion. "So, Shane..tell me the truth." Dad looked up at the sound of my voice. "Why did you tell people that died?"

I still can't do it. I can't call him 'Dad'. The word just sounds so foreign to me for some reason.

"Because the doctors were expecting you to. So, I just assumed they were right and went with it."

"Why would they have been expecting her to..die?" He asked and I looked at him then back at Dad.

"When she was born, she was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. They said that some babies that are born with it usually don't need very much medical treatment." He looked over at me. "You were that one special case. For the first five months of your life, it was back and forth to the hospital for constant treatments, surgeries, and check-ups. Then.. the day after you turned six months old, the doctor said your condition was hardly improving, even with all the surgeries. They said you more than likely wouldn't live past nine months old with the way it was going."

"Why did you leave Mitchie then, if you knew Shiloh was slipping?" Nate asked, looking as interested as me and Jason.

"Because..I couldn't stand the thought of having maybe only three more months with her." Dad answered him and then turned back to me. "You were my whole world and when they said you more than likely wouldn't make it, it tore that world apart. I couldn't take it. Mitchie and I were already under a lot of stress with trying to keep up with our careers, plan our wedding, AND take care of you, and then..hearing that horrible news, I just snapped. I told Mitchie I couldn't take it anymore, and packed.."

"Why didn't you ever come back?" I questioned.

"I just couldn't. I didn't want to take the chance that I would go back and you wouldn't be there, smiling at me like you did every day."

"I was a smiley baby?" I smiled as I asked the question.

"Oh, yeah. I remember the first time you smiled at me.." Dad looked like he was remembering back, and I listened in anticipation. "I carefully took her from Mitchie's arms as she started to nod off to sleep. I watched the little baby in my arms as a massive yawn seemed to consume her whole face. Then, a pair of dark brown eyes blinked open and looked right at me. She looked at me for a few seconds, then gave me a little smile and I beamed back. It was just a little smile, but that smile meant more to me than anything."

This is all news to me. Mom would tell me anything about when I was little, mainly because she didn't want to talk about Dad.

"When I would talk to her, as she got a little older, it was like she understood everything I said because she would make those noises, like she was talking back." Dad told Nate and Jason and I giggled.

"What did I look like?" Mom wouldn't show me any pictures either, because most of them had Dad in them.

"You were a very pretty little baby." Jason nodded, showing he was still listening, and Dad went on. "I think I still have some pictures on my laptop." He got his laptop and pressed a few buttons before he turned the screen towards me, Nate, and Jason.

Wow. I definitely took after my father in my looks. I never would have believed it if somebody told me that when I was younger, but now I can see that they would have been right.

I was looking at a picture of a baby sitting in a highchair with a light purple knit cap and a multicolored shirt. I was looking at something off camera, so I figured either him or Mom did something to get me to look.

"That was the last picture I had before I left."

"She was beautiful, Shane. She looked just like you." Jason smiled at him, and Dad looked back down at the computer. I blushed, and Nate laughed.

"You do realize that she's sitting right there, Jase."

"You were very beautiful, Shi. And you still are."

"Thanks, Jason." I gave him a little hug, and resumed my spot next to Dad.

"Everyone who saw her said that she looked just like me."

"So..who sang her to sleep?"

Dad gave Nate a questioning look, like he was out of my mind or something.

"What? I figured since you and Mitchie were musicians, she was around music all the time. And according to your mom, it was the only way you would sleep when you were a baby, so I assumed Shiloh might have picked that up."

"Yeah, she did." He chuckled and began talking to me again. "You loved it when I would sing to you. Your tiny legs would kick, and you would giggle and coo. When Mitchie sang to you, though, you just stared up at her, like you were wondering where that angelic voice was coming from."

"Do you ever miss her?"

"Yeah, sometimes. It's gotten a little easier over the years, though." He said as he looked down at his computer again.

I noticed that he had changed the picture from me to one of him and Mom. Dad stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her. Mom had a huge grin on her face as Dad whispered something in her ear. The shot was perfect.

_That's it. I've got to get my parents back together. _

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_**Thanks for reading!**_

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	7. Memories Are All We Have Now

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - Thank you to All-American Dork06 and AlUvmusic _****for reviewing on the last chapter. **

**_This chapter is kinda lengthy, and I tried to shorten a little bit, but it didn't really work. So..please just bear with me._**

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_Chapter 7 : Memories Are All We Have Now_

Nate told us earlier this morning that Connect 3 has about a week to themselves. That means no working, and hopefully no screaming fans stalking the guys' every move. Seriously..it's creepy when everywhere I look, there's some freaky girl staring at my dad, all the while they're glaring at me.

Dad said that since we were already in New York, he was going to take me to see his house. It was only about ten minutes from the hotel we were at, and Dad even suggested that we take my car.

He has a really nice house. It definitely isn't as big as Mom's, but..that's what makes it nice. It's a three bedroom, two bathroom house and I was already in love with it when I had only seen as much as the outside. It was brick, but when I stepped inside, it was so light and open.

I started looking around and I came across a room that must have been Dad's bedroom. On his dresser, there was a beautiful picture of Mom, two or three of me as a baby, and two or three of me, Mom, and Dad.

Dad stepped in the room and smiled. "So...you like it?"

"I love it. It's so -"

Dad's cellphone started ringing, cutting my sentence off.

He looked down at the caller ID, and groaned. "I'm sorry. I've got to take this."

"It's okay." I answered as he left the room.

_It's not that big of a deal if you answer the phone while I'm talking. Mom does it sometimes, whenever she's home. It doesn't really bother me anymore._

I could see him in the hallway, pacing as he talked.

"Hello? Are you serious? Well, me and Shiloh are spending the day together. What's the problem? Can't we just do it another day, Nate?"

As Dad talked, I crossed to the dresser and ran my hand across the top of it, smelled his cologne, then lifted up a photo of him as a little boy. I looked back and Dad made a face about the phone call. I laughed as Dad continued bickering with Nate on the phone.

"Shiloh!"

I quickly moved away from his dresser, worried I'd been caught trespassing.

"Yes, Shane?"

"Would you mind running down to the studio with me?"

_Is that week of, in Jason's words, "no working of any kind" over already?_

"Sure. It'll be fun." I said, smiling.

The studio was across the street from the hotel we were at earlier, so we just walked.

"Come on, let's see what all the fuss is about..." Dad said as we approached the building.

A skylight filled the foyer of the converted town house with a splash of white light. Me and Dad climbed a circular stairwell to get to the studio.

"So, do you ever think about getting married?"

"No, I like things the way they are, thank you."

"But, seriously, doesn't being around this stuff all the time ever make you think about the 'M' word?"

Dad stopped abruptly and I crashed into him. He turned around and gave me a confused look. "The 'M' word?"

"My mom."

"Oh. That 'M' word. Well, no, actually it didn't. Not until you brought it up."

"Why not?"

"How did we get into this discussion?" Dad asked as he opened the door, leading to a huge loft.

As we stepped into the loft, I saw a photo-shoot in progress. A whole bunch of people was scurrying about. Light pop music was playing in the background. The only thing that I was able to do was look around and watch like a kid in a candy store.

"Okay, he's here. We're saved." I'm assuming that the person who said it was the photographer's assistant.

"Shane, we need you for the group shots. Without you in them, they just look -"

"Incomplete." Dad finished for him.

I sat down on one of the stools they had set up as I watched Dad, Nate, and Jason strike a lot of different poses.

After a while, I was getting kind of bored. I started lightly singing along to the song in the background, and Dad quickly smiled over at me.

"All right, I think we're good." The photographer announced.

Nate and Jason went over to look at the pictures, but Dad and the photographer were talking.

The photographer must have noticed me watching them, because while he was talking to Dad, he motioned at me.

"Come on." Dad smiled.

"Really?" I asked them both.

The photographer looked at me and then at Dad. "Why not?"

I stood up and the photographer started talking again.

"I think it'd be great if we got some father-daughter pictures. You guys want to?"

"Yeah, totally." Dad answered, but I hesitated. If I do this, then Mom will totally know where I've been and I'll be in so much trouble. But..if I don't do this, I may never get a chance like this again.

"Shiloh?" The photographer asked.

I have no idea how he knew my name, but apparently he did. Then again, when you have parents that are as famous as mine, it's hard to stay invisible for long.

"Okay.." I finally agreed.

I walked briskly towards Dad, and he wrapped me in a hug. They must have had some windows open because I felt a light breeze as Dad released the hug.

_"Dad is too cool." _I thought to myself as the photographer snapped what seemed like thousands of pictures of us.

Before long, the photographer called a wrap on the photo-shoot.

Me and Dad made our way down the hall, passing a row of offices.

"So..where were you and Mom gonna get married?" I brought it back up.

"Why the sudden curiosity about me and your mother's past love life?"

"Well, maybe because it's never been mentioned and you can't blame a girl for wondering..." My voice trailed off and Dad smirked as he stuck his head in an office.

"I'm going home, guys. See you later."

We headed back down the circular staircase, only to be greeted by the busy street.

"So, what was she like? Really?"

"Who?"

I rolled my eyes at him as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Dad, you can't avoid the subject forever." _Wow. That was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be._

"Okay." I could almost hear the surprise in his voice. "Your mother was very beautiful, to tell you the truth. She was...actually..amazingly beautiful. All right?"

I simply smiled. "All right."

It had started to sprinkle, and I pulled the hood on my jacket up, over my hair. Dad snapped open an umbrella and held it over both us. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine." I looked up at him again. "So, where did you guys meet?"

"We met at Camp Rock."

"Camp what?"

"Camp Rock. It's a music camp. I was forced to go back one year as a celebrity instructor, and your mother had the most amazing voice, but I didn't know that the voice belonged to her."

I threw him a confused look and he chuckled. "I'd heard a girl sing, and it was stuck in my head all summer." Dad looked like he was remembering back, so I let him have his moment. "We met face-to-face when your mother was working in the camp kitchen, actually. But..we really met each other at Final Jam. I had been searching all summer for the girl who sang the song I had heard, and when she started singing, I knew it was her. I interrupted her song with part of one of my own, and it just seemed to fit. We finished the song, and then just stared in each others eyes for a few minutes, both of us knowing we had found our missing piece."

_Oh, my God. He only remembers Mom as being amazing. He has no idea that our BUTLER has practically been raising me since I could walk. _

"No kidding?" I ended up saying.

Dad nodded and continued. "We kind of hit it off immediately after that."

"Was it love at first sight?" I smiled and now it was Dad's turn to roll his eyes.

"I knew all these questions were going to come up somehow." "Taxi!" He yelled as he raised his arm and hailed a cab.

It splashed to a stop and we hurried inside. We sat side-by-side as I continued with the questions.

"So, did you see each other every night after that?"

"You know, this part of your personality reminds me of your mother." He looked in my eyes, making sure he had my full attention. "Yes, we saw each other every night, every morning and every hour in-between. But..one night, when I was nineteen and Mitchie was eighteen, things sort of got out of hand. I remember Mitchie running up to me almost a month later, her eyes filled with tears, saying that she was so sorry that she had ruined my career."

"How was it ruined?"

Just when I started to understand, he threw me for a loop.

"See, the one night things got a little out of hand.."

His voice trailed off, and he looked over at me. After a few seconds, my eyes went wide as I understood.

"It was me." I whispered, and Dad nodded.

"Yep. So, one night..about a week after you were born, I popped the question, in the middle of the Atlantic, on the QE2."

"The what?"

"The Queen Elizabeth 2. It's an ocean liner that sails from London to New York. I was in London at the time with Connect 3, and Mitchie was in New York with her singing career, so it made sense for us to meet up on there."

"That's beyond cool."

Dad just nodded his head.

"So, what happened? You didn't love each other when you weren't in the middle of the Atlantic?"

"These things are complicated, Shiloh."

_No, it's not. You're making it complicated. _

"What you're saying is, it didn't work out."

"No, I guess it didn't. Except for having you."

I smiled and Dad put his arm around me, pulling me close to him. I sighed and leaned into his shoulder.

_I wonder if Mom even knows that I'm gone._

* * *

_**Thanks for reading!**_

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	8. The Journey Has Only Begun

**DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N - I'm _****really appreciating the feedback. It's always great to hear what you guys think about a particular part of the story or..the whole story. **

**_Thanks to 0Twisted-Symphony6 and Lauren _****for reviewing on the last chapter. **

* * *

_Chapter 8 : The Journey Has Only Begun_

I woke up the next morning to the sound of bacon sizzling. I looked around at the still unfamiliar bedroom and swung my feet over the edge of the bed, only to be met by the cold hardwood floor. _I seriously have to tell Dad to at least get me a rug or something. _

Reaching the last few steps, I heard a low voice. It sounded like Dad was talking to himself. Being the curious person I was, I slowly, yet silently, crept my way up to the kitchen entrance and began listening in on what he was saying while making sure I was totally clear from sight.

"Mitchie, I need you now. The years are rolling by without you; eighteen have already come and gone. I can see that you raised our Shiloh with the best intentions, but there is something I can't tell her. I'm so lost without you here. I'm only living out a lie! I tell Shiloh that I don't need you, and that I like things like they are, but it's all lies. I need you now more than ever. I don't know if I can do this on my own anymore."

_Oh, Dad... If only you knew the truth. Steven's been the one raising me since I could walk. Mom was hardly ever around to cheer me on, for anything._

I slowly walked into the kitchen, and Dad looked up in surprise.

"Shiloh! How long have you been standing there?"

I smiled sheepishly, and sat down at the table as Dad set a large platter between us on the table. He sat down in front of me and looked at me.

"Okay, here we go. Most important meal of the day... Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with grape jelly - because any other kind of jelly is just gross - and just in case you're really hungry... a humongous stack of chocolate chip pancakes which smell incredible, if I do say so myself."

_Okay..this is just freaky. He knows my favorite breakfast without me even telling him? _

"Thanks, Dad."

"So, seriously. How long had you been standing there listening to me?" He asked as he reached over for the bacon.

"Long enough. If you miss Mom that much, then..why don't you just tell her all that?"

Dad's hand froze above the piece of bacon he was about to grab and he slowly looked up at me.

"What?" He asked, although I knew that he had heard me perfectly.

"You should tell Mom what you told the stove." I smiled, and Dad gave me a nervous smile back.

"Very funny, Shiloh. I couldn't possibly tell Mitchie all that. I haven't spoken to her in almost eighteen years. It would just be too awkward." Dad said through a mouth full of eggs.

"Yeah, Dad. That's attractive. Swallow before you talk next time."

He just smiled and nodded his head.

Apparently he noticed that I hadn't taken anything off the plate, because he raised his eyebrows at me.

"Aren't you gonna eat anything?"

I shook my head. "I'm not really hungry."

"You're not hungry again? You hardly ate your chili last night and now you're not eating your breakfast? You're not coming down with something, are you?"

Dad got up from his chair, and put the back of his hand on my forehead and cheeks. When I shrugged him off, he sat back down.

"I'm fine, I promise. I've just got some stuff on my mind."

"Like what?" Dad asked as he pushed the plate to the side.

"Just... stuff."

"Okay." Dad dropped the subject. "So..what's Mitchie like now?"

_How am I supposed to know, Dad? She's never around long enough for me to know anything other than where she's touring next._

"Oh...she's..." My voice trailed off, not knowing what I was supposed to tell him. I honestly don't know what my mother's like now.

I was quiet for a few minutes, trying to think of what to tell him.

"Shiloh, is something wrong?" Dad asked, giving me a genuine look of concern.

"Would would you say if someone told you that their mother has hardly been around their whole life?" I asked quickly, coming right out with it.

"Well.." Dad looked like he was deep in thought, and he pushed his chair back from the table. "That depends. Has their father been around even though their mother wasn't?"

I closed my eyes for a second, as I was hesitating with the answer. "Not really. I mean, he is now, but he hasn't been."

"Shiloh Hunter.." I knew Dad caught on when I heard my first and middle name. "Would this 'someone' happen to be you?"

"It could be." I shrugged as I got up and put the plate on the counter.

I was about to walk into the living room when Dad stepped in front of me, blocking my entrance.

"Shiloh, is that 'someone' you?" He asked slowly.

I licked my lips, and nodded. "Yes, Dad. That person _is_ me, okay?"

He began chewing on his lip, then, like he was trying to hold back from yelling.

"What do you mean your mom was never around?"

"Exactly that. She's never around for more than a couple of months at a time. That's why I can't tell you what she's like now, because honestly..I don't really know what she's like."

I stepped beside him, going into the living room and sitting down on the couch.

Dad followed me and sat down beside me on the couch. He wrapped an arm around me and I leaned into his shoulder as I felt something wet fall down my cheek. I wiped my hand across my cheek before Dad could see me crying, but unfortunately, I was too late.

"It's okay, Shi. You don't always have to be strong, you know. Just let it out."

I buried my face in Dad's shoulder, and let more and more tears fall. "Why couldn't she have been there for more than a couple of months at a time just **once**? _I_ should have been more important than stupid tours!" I screamed, forgetting that my face was still buried, so my screams were slightly muffled.

"Shiloh, I'm not happy about this. I'll talk to your mom about it and -"

I stood up and faced him.

"You don't have to do anything, Dad. It's not like I'm still five years old. It's not like I'll be sitting at home every night asking our butler, Steven, 'When's Mommy coming home?', you know? Who needs her?"

"Don't talk like that, Shi."

"I got to go on my first date without her. I learned how to drive, I learned how to defend myself without her... I had _fourteen_ great birthdays without her; she never even sent me a damn card."

"Shiloh, watch your language."

I was in too much of rage to listen to his calm voice. I was letting out everything that I had held in for too long. True, maybe I was letting it on the wrong person, but so far, he's the only one that's actually listened to what I was really saying.

"To hell with her!" I paused for a second to catch my breath, and started right back up again. "I didn't need her then and I won't need her now."

"Hey...you don't mean that."

"I'll get through college without her, I'll get a great job without her, I'll marry a great guy and I'm gonna have a whole bunch of kids. I'll be a better mother than she ever was. And I sure as hell don't need her for that, 'cause there won't be a damn thing she can ever teach me about how to love my kids!"

I took a really long pause, and sat back down next to Dad. "Why doesn't she want me, Dad?" I broke down again and Dad wrapped me in a tight hug, and started stroking my hair. This time that I broke down, though, I think Dad was crying a little bit too.

"Shi, your mother wants you. I want you. She's just trying to give you the life she never had." He whispered.

"By abandoning me?!" I screeched.

"That's one way of putting it. But, Shiloh..she does love you."

"She sure has a funny way of showing it." I took a deep breath and managed to calm down a little bit. "Look..if you don't mind, I think I'm just going to go back home for a little bit."

"What?" Dad asked, his voice wavering a little bit. "But I just got you back."

"Yeah. But..I don't know if I can stay here much longer."

"Shiloh, you can't go back home. Not if there isn't anyone there."

"I'll be fine." I looked him in the eyes as I stood up again. "I promise."

_I'm not really going home anyway. I'm going to Japan to find Mom. I will get you two back together if it's the last thing I ever do._

* * *

**_Thanks for reading! Feedback would be really nice... that little box down there is feeling a little left out!_**

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	9. Tell Me, Do I Get One More Try?

******DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

**_A/N Wow...long time, no update, huh? I apologize for that. I've been practically consumed by school already.. It's crazy. I'll do my best to update, but I make no guarantees that it will be as regular as they had been. _**

**_There are also a lot of breaks in this chapter, and I apologize for that, too. I just felt the story was sort of dragging, so I tried to..pick it up a little bit. This chapter is a little lengthy, though, even though I tried to condense it._**

**_Thanks to 0Twisted-Symphony6 and Lauren for reviewing on the last chapter! _**

**_P.S. A BIG THANK YOU to all the people who have favorited this story or put this story on alert, or something along those lines._**

* * *

_Chapter 9 : Tell Me, Do I Get One More Try?_

I went back up to my room, and started packing my bags. As I started throwing my things in my suitcases and gym bags, Dad appeared by my doorway with a confused look on his face.

"Are you sure you have to go?"

"Yes, Dad." I answered as I looked up at him.

"I'd be lost if I were to lose you again."

"You're not going to." I simply answered.

He glanced down at my floor, and muttered something that sounded like, "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

By now, my clothes were forgotten and my suitcase laid almost empty on my bed.

"For failing you. I know I - "

"Dad, I -"

"Just listen to me, Shiloh. I told myself after I left..you were gone. You weren't coming back. In the back of my mind, there was this little voice saying you were still alive. I kept telling myself that you were better off without me, but what I really thought was that _I_ was better off without _you_. I know, that's horrible thing to think about your daughter, but it's easier not to feel guilty when you're not looking at the person you hurt. I'm sorry you never really had a father, Shiloh. Please.. forgive me for not being there."

"I already did. The second I met you again, I forgave you for everything."

He didn't say anything after that. He just nodded his head and started to walk out of the room.

"Hey, Dad?" I called after him before he could completely leave.

He turned around with the saddest expression I had ever seen. "It's not like I'm leaving forever. I'm coming back. You know that, right?"

He gave me a small smile and nodded once again before he left the room.

I waited to make sure he was completely out of hearing range before I got my cellphone out. I called home and Steven picked up, just like I was hoping he would. I mean, it's not like I was expecting Mom to be there or anything.

_"Torres residence."_

"Steven! It's me."

_"Shiloh? Where are you? Your mother has been calling here nonstop wanting to talk to you. I'm almost out of excuses to tell her."_

We made a deal before I left that he would stop acting all "proper" around me. Meaning.. he had to stop calling me "Miss Shiloh", and that he would talk to me normally..like a friend, almost.

"My mom called? Really?" I was so happy that she actually called, I almost forgot I was still on the phone until I heard Steven's voice again.

_"Did you need something, Shiloh?"_

"Oh, yeah. How soon can you fly to Japan?"

_"Japan?!" _He practically screamed.

"Yeah.." I said it like it was nothing.

_"Shiloh..are you insane?"_

"Possibly." I said as seriously as I could.

_"You can't fly to Japan. Especially alone."_

"I know. That's why I'm asking you to go. If you don't want to, then.. I'm just going to have to beg."

_"Alright, alright. Don't beg. I'll go."_

"Yay!"

_"When are you leaving? I need to know so I can book my flight so we'll arrive in Japan at about the time."_

"I'm leaving today around 4:00 your time."

_"So, let me get this straight. You called to tell me that you're going to fly to Japan TONIGHT?" _

"Pretty much, yeah." I asnwered and I could hear him sigh.

_"Do you realize how hard it's going to be to get a ticket for tonight? For a plane that supposedly leaves in..4 hours?"_

"Yes, but you could always sort of do I do. I tell them I'm Mitchie Torres' daughter, and they practically give me a seat on the plane. I don't even really have to pay for it. Just tell them you work for Mitchie Torres, and that she personally requested you be in Japan by Tuesday, since today is Sunday, and it's usually about a fourteen-hour flight. They'll get you on that plane faster than you can realize it."

_"Shiloh, does your mother even know we're coming?"_

"Well, no. But...Dad doesn't know I'm going, either. I told him I was going home for a little bit."

_"Shiloh!" _I heard him sigh heavily, and I knew I was frustrating him. But, hey...in my defense, this was just kind of a spur of the moment desicion. **I** haven't even really thought everything through. _"I will talk to you later, when I see you in Japan."_

"Thank you, Steven! You have no idea how much this means to me!" I squealed as I hung up the phone, and started packing my clothes again.

---------------------------

Almost two days later (my flight was a little early taking off, so I got to Japan a little earlier than I had anticipated), I was trying to figure out where my mother's next concert was at.

I found a group of girls who were looking at a magazine with Mom's face on it, but I couldn't read a word of what it said.

"Excuse me?" They looked up from the magazine and their eyes became wide.

"Oh, my gosh! You're Shiloh Gray!" One of the girls exclaimed. "Can I get a picture with you?"

I nodded, and after a couple of pictures with all of the girls, I turned to the one who had first recognized me, since I knew she spoke English.

"Since you know who I am, could you tell me where my mom's next concert is at?"

"The Osaka Dome, tonight at 8:30."

I had seen pictures of it, so I had a vague idea of what it looked like.

"This is so great of you. Thank you so much." I said as I walked away and tried to hail a cab.

--------------------

A little bit before the concert, I was looking around backstage, trying to find Mom's dressing room. After looking around for a while, I finally found a door marked, "Mitchie Torres - Dressing Room".

I figured she might still be in there, so I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, I heard the shuffling of feet, and Mom's voice before the door actually opened.

"I told you people I don't -" She stopped mid-sentence as she opened the door and saw me standing there. "Shiloh..what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. Is that a crime?" I asked innocently as I stepped beside her and walked into the dressing room.

"Well..no, but, I've got a concert soon." She said as she walked back into the room.

Someone else knocked on the door frame, and we both turned to see who it was. It must have been a stagehand or something. "Mitchie, one minute."

"Mom, I've got to talk to you." I said suddenly.

"What is it?" She asked, looking genuinely concerned. I guess once you actually have her full attention, she's a completely different person.

"I met -" I started, but the stagehand cut me off again.

"Mitchie, you've got to go. Now." He demanded.

"I'll be back in a little while."

"Mom, just listen to me this one time." I practically pleaded.

Mom actually turned around by the doorway but people were pulling and pushing Mom towards the stage. "You'll just have to tell me later."

"I met Dad!" I yelled after her, and a few minutes later Mom came back, looking confused.

"What? What did you just say?" She asked slowly.

"I met Dad. And Nate and Jason. They're amazing, Mom. Especially Dad. I've been staying with him, and he's becoming the dad that I've wanted my whole life."

"Has he really? Well, there's a first time for everything." She said, almost bitterly.

"You know, he's been showing me a lot of things from when I was a baby, that you've been hiding from me."

"Oh, yeah, Shiloh. I raised you for eighteen years, he shows you a couple pictures. It's a tie."

"Don't you start on him. I've been on tour with him, and every night, it's like.. something different than the night before. It's amazing. It gets a little tiring at times, but.."

"Why would you deliberately do this to yourself?" Mom cut me off.

"Do what? People go on tour all the time."

"You are special, Shiloh. There are limits to what you can do. Touring is one of those limits. That's why I never took you with me. Otherwise, I would have."

"I'm going to be very, very careful. Nobody is going to be hurt or disappointed or even inconvenienced."

"Least of all your father, I'm sure."

"I'm eighteen now, Mom. I can make my own decisions." Mom looked away for a second, and I saw the look on her face. Then, I almost immediately understand what was wrong. "You're jealous, because you no longer have a say so in what I do and that drives you up the wall. You're ready to spit fire because you can't call the shots."

"I did not raise my daughter to talk to me like this." Mom raised her eyebrows, and started to walk toward the door again.

"Yes, you did." I fought back.

"Oh, no, I didn't."

"You were hardly ever around. How could you have even raised me?!" I yelled, finally letting out what I'd been wanting to tell her for years.

She looked shocked for a second, but her voice became so calm that I was almost scared. "I did the best I could, no thanks to your father."

"Whenever I asked you what you wanted for me when I grew up, what did you say?"

"Shiloh, I'm not in the mood to play games." Mom put her hand on the doorknob.

"Just tell me what you said, Mom. What did you say?"

"The only thing I have ever said, ever, is that I want you to be happy."

"Okay. The one thing that would make me happy is to have a father again. If I could leave him like he left us and just forget about him, I would, but I can't. I'm happy about having a dad again and I wish you'd be happy too."

"I'll tell you what I wish. Well, I don't know what I wish." Mom sighed.

"Mom, I don't know why you have to make everything so difficult. I look at having a father again as the opportunity of a lifetime. He's willing to be part of my life- of our lives again. Please, _please_, Mom..don't take this away from me."

* * *

**_A/N This chapter was really hard for me to write for some reason. But, anway.. Reviews would be great!_**

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	10. Years, It's Been So Many Years

******DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

_****__A/N - I'm **really appreciating the feedback. It's always great to hear what you guys think about a particular part of the story or..the whole story. **_

_****__Thanks to Lauren, 0Twisted-Symphony6, and Shona (it's not letting me put your penname..sorry!) for reviewing on the last chapter! _

* * *

_Chapter 10 : Years, It's Been So Many Years_

After the concert, Mom was pacing around the dressing room, trying to figure everything out, and I was sitting on the couch. I felt kind of bad for her because I know I just complicated her life even more.

"Mom, this arrangement really sucks." I said truthfully.

Mom stopped pacing for a few seconds and let out a deep sigh. "Now that you know your dad, I can't really keep you away from him, can I?"

"No." I bluntly stated.

"I didn't think so."

"I guess we'll just have to fly back to New York, see Dad, and work this whole thing out." I tried, and much to my surprise, she actually went along with it.

"I guess we will."

"Will you be nervous about seeing Dad again?" _Because, truth be told, I'm kind of nervous about you two seeing each other again._

"No, of course not." Mom answered quickly, as if it was preposterous. "I can handle seeing Shane Gray after all these years. People see their exes all the time, don't they? Don't worry, Shiloh. I'll take care of everything."

--------------------

**-Steven's POV-**

I entered Mitchie's hotel room with freshly pressed clothes, and saw that she was a mess. In all the years that I've worked for her, I haven't ever seen her in such a distressed state.

She was wearing a silk blouse over jeans and a few Velcro rollers just on the top of her head. Open luggage was laid out on the bed behind her, yet hardly anything was in it. I looked around for a few seconds and saw that Shiloh was nowhere to be found.

"I'm sorry, I can't handle this." She confessed once she noticed that I had walked in the room. "I haven't seen or heard from Shane Gray in almost eighteen years and suddenly I'm flying halfway across the world. I'm not mature enough for this!" She cried. She took a shaky breath, and I could tell that she was already nervous about the trip. "If the man didn't make me so nuts, I might be married to him by now." She began pulling out rollers and abruptly turned to me. "Look at me, Steven. Have you ever seen me like this?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off. "No, don't answer that." She began pacing, which had become sort of a regular thing for her since I had arrived yesterday. "What if he doesn't recognize me? Be honest, Steven, how old do I look?" I opened my mouth again, but she shook her head. "No, don't answer that either. What am I so worried about?" She looked up at the ceiling, and I figured I may be able to get a word in now.

"Actually, Shiloh says her Dad is still, and I quote, 'quite the hunk'. And never married, either. Just like you, ma'am." I said, trying to calm her down a little bit.

I put the clothes on her bed, and she just looked at me.

"Steven, I'm not married by choice." She said with a slight laugh in her voice that told me she was trying to stop herself from crying. "I've had my opportunities. Not lately, of course. But I've had my share of gentlemen callers."

"Not lately." I repeated, and Mitchie's eyes turned darker than they already were, meaning I was upsetting her.

"I just said that!" She yelled, and when she saw the shock on my face, she sighed and slightly smiled. "So..Shi said he was still a hunk, huh?" She sat down on the bed, and got a look in her eyes like she was remembering everything. "He _was_ pretty charming. He used to make me go weak in the knees, if you can imagine that."

She stood back up and looked in the mirror just as Shiloh entered the room with her bags.

"All set, Mom." She said happily.

Mitchie suddenly became more composed than she had been the entire time I'd been here. "Good. Me too. Almost."

Shiloh looked at me, because she knew it wasn't true -as I did-, and then at her mother's suitcase. "Mom, your suitcase is totally empty."

"Oh, right. Did you speak to your father?"

I looked over at Shiloh. She locked eyes with me for an instant, then turned back to Mitchie.

"Uh, yeah. I just hung up with him, actually. He said he's really anxious to see you." Mitchie's eyes went wide, and Shiloh smiled.

"He did? Was it anxious-nervous, like he's totally dreading it or anxious-excited, like he's looking forward to it?"

"Anxious-excited, definitely."

I squinted at Shiloh, knowing she was lying, but since her mother was my boss, I didn't say anything at the risk of getting fired.

"He said he'll meet us tomorrow at noon at the Omni Berkshire Place in New York City." Shiloh continued.

"Tomorrow? That's awfully soon, isn't it?" Mitchie panicked, and Shiloh nodded. "Well, uh.. why don't you gather our tickets while I finish up here?"

Shiloh started out of the room, and I followed her.

I walked next to her, and quietly asked, "So, who was it really? Nate or Jason?"

"Oh, Steven, could you come back for a moment, please?" I heard Mitchie's voice calling me.

Shiloh raised her finger to her lips to 'Shh" me. I swear, sometimes she acts like she's five again, as she just demonstrated.

I walked back into Mitchie's hotel room, and she looked up when I walked in.

"I have a really ridiculous, somewhat childish request to make. Steven, you know you're more than a butler. You're like a lovable brother who just happens to wait on us and..."

I nodded modestly, letting her continue.

"Anyway, I was wondering if..."

"I'd accompany you to make the trip a bit easier?" I finished for her.

"Would you, Steven? I'd be forever grateful. And you don't even have to go as our butler. Just as a friend." She looked hopeful, as if she was hoping I wouldn't say no.

"Madame, I'd be honored." Mitchie smiled an actual smile and I walked toward her closet. "And as a friend, may I say, if I were seeing my ex after almost eighteen years and I had your legs..." My voice dropped off as I pulled out her little black dress. "I'd wear this little baby."

Mitchie just looked at me, as if she couldn't believe what I had just suggested. She shook her head, but put it in her suitcase anyway.

She must have seen the small smile on my face because she pointed at me, to make something clear. "Just in case."

I nodded and left to go check on Shiloh.

_This was going to be.. to say the least, an interesting trip. _

* * *

**_Thanks for reading! That little box down there loves being clicked, so make it feel loved!_**

**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	11. Is This The End of The Line?

******DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY**** OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

_****__A/N - I'm **really appreciating the feedback. It's always great to hear what you guys think!**_

**_Thanks to Lauren and 0Twisted-Symphony6 for reviewing on the last chapter!_**

* * *

_Chapter 11 : __Is This The End of The Line?_

I looked out the taxi window to see that it was pulling up at the hotel. _I sure hope this plan works, otherwise.. I am SO gonna be grounded for eternity. _Steven and I stepped out of the car, but I turned back when I noticed that I was walking alone. I turned to see Steven reaching in the backseat and helping my mother out. She was wearing dark sunglasses and was definitely more than a _little _tipsy.

I could see that Steven was struggling, so I went back to help him guide Mom up the steps to the hotel.

"That was a great flight, wasn't it? I mean, it was so quick." Mom sort of giggled before she hiccuped.

"I've never seen you so... thirsty, before, ma'am." Steven noticed, obviously for the lack of a better word.

"You mean you've never seen me drink. Guess what? I've never tasted the stuff before. Not once."

"Could've fooled me, ma'am." _And me. How do you think I felt, Steven? She totally embarrassed **me** on the plane! And I don't get embarrassed that easily anymore!_

We managed to lead Mom through the lobby before we stopped at the front desk to check in. Miraculously, Dad was nowhere in sight. _Maybe my plan will actually work. _Mom then began to ring the bell on the desk about a zillion times. I finally stopped her by placing my hand over the bell.

"Mom, they heard you the first twenty-eight dings. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Absolutely. Never felt better in my life. But...Sweetie, tell me because I'm a bit confused. Have we landed yet?"

With that comment, I laid my head down on the counter and began muttering to myself. "I am so dead. This is never gonna work."

I could see out of the corner of my eye, across the lobby, that Nate and Jason were exiting a dining hall.

I led Mom away from the front desk, after I had checked us all in, and toward a wall of elevators. I honestly don't know how else to describe it. There was a wall with elevators, literally, lined up along the whole wall. I managed to catch an empty elevator, but I noticed that Mom wasn't beside me when the doors opened.

I looked back and saw that Mom was trying to hitch a ride on a passing luggage cart. I threw a helpless glance at Steven, and he proceeded to try and peel my drunken mother off the cart.

He finally managed to get her off of it, and Mom and I finally stepped into an open elevator. Steven said he was going to look around for a while, to see what he could find that might be of use at home.

Just as the doors are about to close, Mom stuck her hand between the doors, hindering it from completely shutting.

"Oh..." She giggled with her hand still between the doors, making the doors pop back open. "Forgot my bag."

She rushed out of the elevator and ran toward the front desk just as I spotted Nate and Jason still walking, looking like they were trying to find somebody.

"Nate! Jason!" I called from the elevator, and Jason and I locked eyes.

Mom must have found her bag because she joined me again, putting her arm around me.

"Mom!"

Nate's eyes widened as he noticed her. He turned almost completely around, why I'm not sure.

"Honey, you didn't have to wait for me, I could've found the room by myself. Besides.." She leaned toward me a little bit, and started whispering. "I've got to make a pit stop. Go on, sweetie, I'll meet you upstairs."

As she started walking away, Nate turned back around sneaked a peek at her.

Mom turned back for a second, and just barely missed colliding with a Bellhop carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. I could feel a headache coming, so I started rubbing my forehead.

I turned to the two guys who looked star-struck. "What?" I broked them out of their trance.

"Huh?"

"Why were you guys staring at my mom like that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nate denied. "What's wrong with her, though? Why was she acting so weird?"

"She's drunk." I clarified. "She's never had more than one glass of wine in her entire life and she chooses today to show up totally wasted."

Nate started leading all of us toward an open elevator.

"Well, just do what the woman says and meet her upstairs." Jason pointed out as the elevator started moving.

* * *

**-Mitchie's POV-**

I swear, if I wasn't so confused right now, I would swear I just saw Shane stroll up to, and get in, the same elevators that Shiloh just left in.

_Maybe I'm hallucinating. _I smiled and gave him a little wave. He stopped what he was doing and just looked at me.

Maybe I'm not crazy. I swear, Shane is staring me, who's standing directly in front of him. He blinked, like he was unable to believe his eyes.

As the elevator doors started to close, Shane leaned further and further to his right, like he was trying to keep his eyes on me. He kept leaning like that until the doors finally closed.

---------------------------

I stormed down the hallway, focused and furious.

"Shiloh Hunter Gray!" I yelled, and she came out of the room on my right.

"Hi, Mom." She said innocently.

"How could you do this to me?!" I screeched.

Just then, two faces I hadn't seen since Shane left, eighteen years ago, showed up behind Shiloh.

"May I suggest we take this little pow-wow inside? Hi, you probably don't remember me..." He smiled.

"Jason!" I exclaimed warmly. I looked at Nate, and smiled at him. "Nate!"

"I knew I always liked you." He smiled his oh-so-rare smile back at me.

Once we were all in the room, Shiloh sat on the bed and Jason and Nate stood by the door.

"Let me put this as simple as possible. You told me your father knew I was arriving here today. The man that I just saw in the elevator had absolutely no idea he and I were on the same planet, let alone in the same state, and especially not in the same hotel!" I exclaimed loudly.

"You saw Dad already?" Shiloh seemed shocked about it, like she was planning something that she was keeping from me.

"Yes, and it was completely humiliating. The man went completely pale, like I was the ghost of Christmas past or something." I sat down on the couch in the room and I could feel my my headache becoming stronger, so I started rubbing my forehead. "Can somebody get me something cold for my head?" I glanced over and saw Nate beginning to wet a cloth. "Don't you think I've wondered what it was going to be like to see Shane again after all these years?"

Jason and Nate exchanged a look, like they knew something as well that they were keeping from me.

"Well, let me tell you, me waving like a mindless idiot while Shane Gray is staring back, cluelessly, is not exactly the scenario I had in mind." I continued. Shiloh handed me the wet washcloth, a glass of water, and two aspirins. "Thank you." I placed the wash cloth on my forehead and shut my eyes, hoping that might have taken some of the pain away. "And furthermore and much worse, is the fact that I've been lied to by my own daughter and I'd like to know why."

I cracked open an eye, only to see my butler passing through the room wearing only a speedo bathing suit. I abruptly opened my eyes and sat straight up again.

"Steven! What are you doing?" I exclaimed.

"Going for a swim. Do you mind?"

"No, no, that's perfectly alright." I reasoned. "By all means, have fun... Someone ought to. Just put on a shirt. My God.."

Jason and Nate started trying to suppress their laughter, and I gave them a look, making them stop completely.

"Shiloh! You were going to tell me why you lied and brought me here without telling your father?"

"I didn't lie. Technically." She shrugged.

I raised my eyebrow and Shiloh explained.

"I told Nate and Jason. I assumed one of them might have told him."

I gripped the arm of the couch as I rose unsteadily. "Okay, let me say this loud and clear. Shane Gray and I obviously have nothing in common... anymore. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, he seems extremely content without me in his life. Shiloh, I want you to explain to your father that I am here for one purpose only and that's to take you back home. Now, let's do what we have to do and be done with it. Understood?" I asked firmly.

"Yes, ma'am." Shiloh mumbled.

* * *

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**_-ImAnUnderdog_**


	12. You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself

**DISCLAIMER - ****I DON'T OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH CAMP ROCK OR THE PEOPLE IN CAMP ROCK. DISNEY OWNS CAMP ROCK, AND I DON'T. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. **

_**A/N - I really apologize for the serious lack of updating lately. I've been super sick for the past..month or so. I'm still not feeling the best, but I've decided to put up a new chapter for you guys!**_

_**I'm really appreciating the feedback. It's always great to hear what you guys think!**_

_**Thanks to **__**0Twisted-Symphony6**__** for reviewing on the last chapter!**_

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_Chapter 12: You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself_

**-Mitchie's POV-**

I had stumbled into the hotel bar shortly after I had yelled at Shiloh. I suppose I could have been a little nicer about how I handled everything that just happened, but..oh, well. That's the past now.

The bartender handed a red concoction to me, while I was holding a bag of ice to my head. I swear, I will never drink again. Especially not like this. This headache is _killing _me.

"Here you go. This'll cure anything you have. Just don't ask what's in it."

That's not very comforting, but..okay. After I had hesitated for a few seconds, I took the drink from his hand. "Okay... Here's to..." I looked around the bar to discover that the bartender and I were the only two in here. I raised my glass to the bartender and he smiled. "Here's to you. May your life be way less complicated than mine."

I took a drink and set it back down on the counter. I winced at the taste, and the bartender chuckled.

Before I could stop myself, I burped. Loudly. "Oh.. I- I'm sorry. I don't think I want to know what I just drank."

The bartender handed me my bill after I had managed to somehow drink the rest of the disgusting concoction. I signed the check and handed it back.

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**-Shane's POV-**

I managed to find Nate, Jason, and Shiloh all together, heading out to the pool.

I stepped into the sunlight, still searching for Mitchie. I saw a woman that I thought was her sitting under a large straw hat. I walked over to her, took a quick peek, and when I realized it wasn't Mitchie, I smiled an apology to the woman and her bodybuilder husband.

I started to back up, since the bodybuilder guy was giving me a death-glare and I realized that he could kill me if given the chance, and ended up backing up into an umbrella.

I glanced around the pool and across the many faces. I finally spotted Mitchie, talking on a cell phone. She waved shyly at me as she slipped on her sunglasses.

A towel boy passed in front of her, blocking her from my view. Not wanting to lose her again, I darted around the lifeguard, side-stepped a couple of toddlers, and ended up almost tripping over a rubber duck.

I heard Shiloh's voice behind me. "Dad, are you okay?"

I glanced back at her to see her sitting poolside with her feet in the water, and I got all tangled up in a dog's leash and almost crashed into a girl.

"Shane! Watch out!" I heard Jason call.

Nate and Jason jumped out of the way as I completely lost my footing on something, and splashed head first into the deep end of the pool.

Once I surfaced, I saw Mitchie turn to see me pulling myself out of the pool and come toward her. I was soaking wet, I could feel that my cheek was bleeding, and I wasn't very happy.

"Hi, Shane." Mitchie said quietly.

"What is going on?" I asked abruptly. "I haven't seen or heard from you in almost eighteen years and suddenly you're everywhere I look."

"Dad, I can explain why she's here." Mitchie looked around me and I turned around as well to see our daughter standing there.

I raised my eyebrows, awaiting an explanation.

"Remember when I told you I was going home for a little bit?"

I nodded. "Go on."

"I didn't exactly go home. I took a plane to Japan, found Mom, told her about meeting you, and got her to come back here. I sort of planned this whole thing." She took a quick breath and continued. "I just wanted to have two parents that are together and happy instead of apart and miserable. You guys are perfect for each other and I wish you two would just realize it, too."

I could feel my expression go from a hard look to an almost sympathetic look.

"Shiloh, this is sweet of you to try and do this, but.." I started.

"If Shane and I were perfect for each other, we would be together, and we're not." Mitchie finished for me.

"You guys must have been perfect for each other at one time. What happened?"

"We grew apart, Shi." Mitchie told her softly.

"Mitchie, I'm just trying to make things right with my daughter." I turned to face my ex-fiancée.

"_Your_daughter?" Mitchie raised her eyebrows at me. Her eyes went darker than usual and I knew that I had just said the wrong thing. "Where were you when she woke up crying in the middle of the night? Where were _you_ when she fell off her bike and needed someone to make it all better? Where were _you _all those times when she needed love and encouragement, huh?!" Mitchie screamed at me.

"Mom, where were _you_?!" Shiloh screamed at her, and several people looked in our direction.

Nate and Jason had been extremely quiet while they were watching the three of us.

"Guys, why don't you let Mitchie and I talk for a couple of minutes, okay?" I turned to my band-mates, and they got the message. They started guiding Shiloh back to the hotel, but she resisted.

"Dad, I -"

"Shiloh, go." I commanded, cutting her off.

She still refused for a few seconds more, but she eventually, reluctantly, went with Jason and Nate back into the hotel.

I grabbed a towel and started to dry my hair. "Wow, I can't believe this. Seeing you after all this time.. How are you, Mitch, or does everyone call you Mitchie now?" I asked, bringing her old nickname (that I called her _first_) back up.

She looked a little shocked that I had just brought that old name back up, but she eventually came back into reality.

"No, no, Mitch is fine." She insisted. "I've been terrific. How about you?"

"Well, I've had better days." I reached up and touched my cheek, just to see how bad it was bleeding. "AH!"

"Let me help you with that." Mitchie offered. She managed to catch a passing towel boy. "Excuse me? Do you have a First-Aid kit?"

"Yeah. Hang on." The towel boy ran to get the First-Aid kit.

"Okay, lie down.."

I laid down on the chair that Shiloh had previously been sitting in front of as the towel boy returned with the First-Aid Kit. Mitchie sat down beside me and started tending to my cut.

I winced a few times, and she just laughed. _Okay..if she's laughing at me in pain, she has a really cruel sense of humor. That's not the Mitchie I used to know._

After she had managed to make it stop bleeding, we actually exchanged a smile.

"I can't believe it. You haven't changed at all." Mitchie breathed.

"You either. Shiloh was right, you know."

"About what?" She looked confused.

"We _were_ perfect for each other once. What happened to us?"

"You left, remember? From your leaving, I assumed we were over."

"I never wanted it to be over. You two are all I've ever cared about. Maybe, if you wanted to.. maybe, we could try again?" I suggested.

"Try what?" She looked even more confused than earlier, and I honestly thought it was cute.

"Us." I explained. "I really didn't want it to end like that, Mitch. But I'm letting you know, our relationship wasn't over. I'll love you no matter what." I grasped Mitchie's hand and held it to my heart. "Feel that? It's beating Mit-chie, Mit-chie, Mit-chie. It'll always be beating for you, and it will never stop."

Mitchie looked at me for a split-second, and then tore her gaze away.

"I can't believe this is happening. I'm sorry, Shane, I can't do this." She started to get up and I gently pulled her hand, stopping her. "Just seeing you again, and hearing your voice, it just.. it brings back too many memories." She pulled her hand away from me.

"I'm sorry, too, Mitch." I looked down at my lap, and noticed out of the corner of my eye that Mitchie slowly sat down next to me again.

"What are you sorry for?"

"For not being there." I told her. "For not being there for you, for not being there for Shiloh, for not -"

I would have continued for quite a while, but stopped immediately when I felt Mitchie's lips on mine.

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_**-ImAnUnderdog**_


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